Sue’s Views
I read the other day that one in four New Zealanders suffer from mental unwellness. My initial reaction was ….. ‘Wow! That’s high!’ But ….. on thinking about it ….. I decided it’s probably low. Maybe these figures represent those who reach out for help ….. or their behaviour causes others to reach out to them. But if we are honest ….. we all struggle at times. There is a battle going on and our minds are the battlefield. Pressure ….. stress ….. loneliness ….. unrealistic expectations ….. abuse ….. fear ….. anxiety ….. betrayal ….. to name but a few of the weapons aimed at us. It’s a spiritual battle! We are not fighting against flesh and blood but against spiritual powers. The good news is that we have weapons of our own to fight with and they are more powerful than our enemy’s. The thoughts that come to us from the enemy are lies! They only have power if we believe them! We overcome lies by declaring truth which is found in God’s Word. We overcome fear and anxiety by expressing our faith in God through Jesus Christ. We overcome the temptations of the enemy through the power of the Holy Spirit. We overcome the pressure and stress by resting in God and letting Him fight our battles. We overcome hurt and abuse by allowing God’s Spirit to heal us. And we overcome loneliness and betrayal by knowing God will never leave us nor forsake us. And those of us who are in a good place need to be aware of those around us who need someone to come alongside and support them.
